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Oct. 15, 1929. DUNN 1,731,846

ALARM CLOCK Filed May 3. 1.92.2

Patented Oct. 15, 1929 waists FATE @FFECE JOSEPH F. DUNN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ALARM CLOCK Application filed May 3, 1922. Serial No. 558,143.

The object of this invention is to provide an alarm mechanism in which the alarm indicators are moved in a clockwise direction. The invention also consists in a mechanism which permits a movement on a supplementary alarm dial of 12 revolutions of an alarm indicating minute hand to one revolution of the alarm hour hand.

In mechanisms of this type the alarm indicating mechanism is generally rotated counter-clockwise so that positive accuracy is not obtainable except where it is desired to have the alarm ring exactly on the hour.

There is always confusion in timing the alarm for any other moment and it is only by the greatest care and thought that anything ap preaching the desired setting can be obtained.

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation showing the face of the clock with a supplementary 2o alarm dial having hour and minute indicators mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing in a skeleton drawing a detail of the train of gears and mounting of the hands on the supple- 26 mentary alarm dial.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged View of the construction of Fig. 1 in side elevation looking from the right with parts broken away and the clock mechanism omitted.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of Fig. 3 showing the position of the depressing arm over the gear carrying the alarm releasing sleeve.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged bottom plan of part of Fig. 3 showing a thumb ball for setting the alarm indicator.

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of Fig. 5 with part of the thumb ball cut away to show a view of the engaging parts when the indica' tors are not being set.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 with a part of the thumb ball cut away showing how the parts engage in the setting of the indicators.

In the figures that portion of the clock mechanism which is not claimed as part of the invention is omitted.

In the figures 1 is an alarm clock having a face 2 upon which was imprinted the usual numbers and divisions and also a supplementary dial 3 functioning as an alarm indicating 50 dial divided and numbered into 12 main divisions, each main division being subdivided into 5 minute spaces exactly the same as the main clock face. An alarm hour indicating hand 4 and an alarm minute indicating hand 5 are mounted on gearing as hereinafter explained. The time dial and hands are of the usual construction as are also the time reduction gears and the alarm releasing mechanism. This invention contemplates essentially the employment of an alarm indicator which may be set in a clockwise direction. I have here illustrated an alarm indicating means having both hour and minute indicating hands. This is accomplished by mounting the gear wheel 6 on the key carrying disk 7 of the alarm spindle 8, such gear wheel meshing with a pinion 9 loosely mounted upon the arbor 10 of the alarm transmission train of gears. This pinion 9 is provided with a gear wheel 11 which in turn meshes with a pinion 12 carrying a sleeve 13 loosely mounted upon the alarm setting spindle 8. 'This sleeve 13 passes through the clock face and carries the alarm minute indicator 5,'while the spindle 8 passing through the sleeve carries at its outerend the alarm hour indicator 4:. The gear wheels and pinions 6, 9, 11 and 12 are so arranged and proportioned that upon the passage of the alarm hour indicator over a one hour division on the alarm dial 3 the alarm minute indicator makes a complete revolution of the dial.

This invention provides means, as shown in Figs. 3 to 7 inclusive, for setting the alarm hour and minute indicators in a clockwise direction when viewing the clock from the front. Alarm clocks are ordinarily provided with an alarm cam driven in a clockwise direction by the time mechanism. This cam has an abrupt shoulder cooperable with a pin carried on the alarm setting means to release the alarm mechanism. The shoulder interferes with clockwise rotation of the alarm setting pin and hence this type of alarm set ting means and indicator must be set in a counter-clockwise direction. As here shown this difficulty may be overcome by pressing back an alarm release sleeve 16 so that the shoulder 26 and recess 20 will not come in engagement with the'alarm release key 22 and any means to secure this operation may be employed. In the preferred form as shown in these figures the above operation is performed with the use of one hand only at the same time as the alarm indicating devices are set in position.

As shown here, a flat spring 14 bears against the gear wheel 15 carrying the alarm release sleeve 16. A gear wheel 15 is propelled by the time transmission train of gears and is provided with a recess 20 adapted to receive the alarm release key or pin 22 mounted on alarm release disk 7. A sleeve 18 loosely mounted upon the alarm setting spindle 8, has keyed to it at one end a thumb ball 17 and at the other end a flat ring '23. A yoke 27 has one arm 24 loosely mounted upon the sleeve 18 under the ring 23 and the other arm 25 set in position to bear against ear wheel 15.

The operation of the device is as follows: To set the indicators in position the thumb ball 17 is pressed back from the rear of the clock and turned to the left forcing the disk 23-to pull back the yoke 27, causing its upper arm 25 to press back on gear wheel 15 thereby retaining the alarm release sleeve 16 in lower position so that shoulder 26 is kept out of engagement with alarm release key 22. At the same time as the thumb ball 17 is pressed back, the shoulders 21 of a recess 28 in the outer end of sleeve 18 are brought into engagement with the ends of the pin 19 running through the center of spindle 8 and a continued turning of the thumb ball 17 as indicated by the arrow causes the alarm setting spindle 8 to move the alarm hour hand 4 on the outer end of the spindle in a clockwise direction as viewed from the front at the same time setting in motion the gear wheels and pinions 6, 9, 11 and 12 in such manner as to cause the sleeve 13 and the alarm minute indicator 5 mounted thereon also to revolve in a clockwise direction.

Turning the thumb ball 17 in the opposite direction when attempting to set the alarm has no effect due to the fact that such movement causes the ends of pin 19 to move out of the recesses 28 of the sleeve 18 thereby disengaging the shoulders 21 and the setting sleeve 18 and preventing counter-clockwise movement of the alarm indicating hands.

After the alarm is set the thumb ball is released and pressure on the spring 14 is removed causing the spring to bear against gear wheel 15 which in turn puts the recess 20 in a position to receive the alarm release key 22.

I claim: Y

1. In an alarm clock, the combination with time mechanism, alarm indicating means on the front of the clock, releasable alarm mechanism, a device associated with the indicating means for predetermining the time of release of the alarm mechanism, said device including an instrumentality to normally prevent rotating the alarm indicating means in a nism,- and a device associated with the in- (heating means for predetermining the time of release of the alarm mechanism, said device including an instrumentality to normally prevent rotating the alarm indicating means in a clockwise direction as viewed from the front of the clock, of means for temporarily disabling said last mentioned instrumentality whereby the indicating means may be set in a clockwise direction, and means for preventing movement of the indicating means in a counter-clockwise direction when said disabling means is functioning.

3. In an alarm cloclct-he combination with time mechanism, alarm indicating means on the front of the clock, releasable alarm mechanism, a device associated with the indicating means for predetermining the time of release of the alarm mechanism, said device including an instrumentality to normally prevent rotating the alarm indicating means in a clockwise direction as viewed from the front of the clock, and an operator for rotating the alarm predetermining means, of means for temporarily disabling said instrumentality whereby the indicating means may be adjusted in a clockwise direction through any desired angle, said disabling means being actuated by the alarm setting operator, and a spring for restoring said device to nor mal position.

4. In an alarm clock, the combinationwith time mechanism, alarm indicating means on the front of the clock, releasable alarm mechanism, and a device associated with the indicating means for predetermining the time of release of the alarm mechanism, said device including instrumentality to normally prevent rotating the alarm indicating means in a clockwise direction as viewed from the front of the clock, of a device accessible from the back of the clock for rotating the alarm predetermining means and for temporarily disabling said instrumentality whereby the indicating means may be adjusted in a clockwise direction through any desired angle.

5. In an alarm clock, the combination with time mechanism, alarm indicating means on the front of the clock, and carried on a shaft which extends to the back of the clock, releasable alarm mechanism, and a device associated with the indicating means for predetermining the time of release ofthe alarm mechanism, said device including an instrumentality to normally prevent rotating the alarm indicating means in a clockwise direction as viewed from the front of the clock, of a device slidably carried on the shaft and accessible from the back of the clock for temporarily disabling said instrumentality whereby the indicating means may be set in a clockwise direction.

6. In an alarm clock, the combination with time mechanism, alarm indicating means on the front of the clock, and carried on a shaft which extends to the back of the clock, releasable alarm mechanism, and a device associated with the indicating means for predetermining the time of release of the alarm mechanism, said device including an instrumentality to normally prevent rotatin the alarm indicating means in a clockwise irection as viewed from the front of the clock, of a device slidably carried on the shaft and accessible from the back of the clock for temporarily disabling said instrumentality whereby the indicating means may be set in a clockwise direction, and a spring for restoring said slidable device to normal position.

7. In an alarm clock, the combination with time mechanism, alarm indicating means on the front of the clock and carried on a shaft which extends to the back of the clock, releasable alarm mechanism, and a device associated with the indicating means for predetermining the time of release of the alarm mechanism, said device including an instrumentality to normally prevent rotating the alarm indicating means in a clockwise direction as viewed from the front of the clock, of a device slidably carried on the shaft and accessible from the back of the clock for temporarily disabling said instrumentalit-y whereby the indicating means may be set in a clockwise direction, a spring for restoring said slidable device to normal position, and means for preventing movement of the indicating means in a counter-clockwise direction when said means is disabled.

8. In an alarm clock, the combination with time. mechanism. alarm indicating means on the front of the clock and carried on a shaft which extends to the back of the clock, re leasable alarm inecha inn, and a device associated with the indicating means for pre determining the time of release of the alarm mechai'iisn'i, said device including an alarm selling cam slidalily carried on the shaft of the alarm indicating means and movable r. h the time mechanism and a cooperative follower carried with the indicating means which normally prevent rotation of the alarm indicating means in a clockwise direction as viewed from the front of the clock, of a sleeve slidably carried on the shaft, a member connected to the sleeve and cooperabiewith the cam for temporarily separating the cam and follower whereby the indicating mechanism may beset in a clockwise direction, means connecting the shaft and sleeve when the cam and follower are separated for preventing counter-clockwise movement of the indicating means, and a spring for restoring the cam to normal posit-ion.

9. An alarm clock having an alarm setting shaft )rovided with an alarm indicating hand on the face of the clock, an alarm setting mechanism including a cam and a foilcwer supported from the shaft, one part of said mechanism being slidable on the shaft relative to the other part, a spring for urging the parts together, said cam and follower interengaging to prevent setting the alarm hand in a clockwise direction, and means carried on the shaft for separating the cam and follower to permit setting the hand in a clockwise direction.

10. An alarm clock having an alarm setting shaft provided with an alarm indicating hand on the face of the clock, an alarm setting mechanism including a cam and a follower supported from the shaft, one part of said mechanism being slidable on the shaft relative to the other part, a spring for urging the parts together, said cam and follower interengaging to prevent setting the alarm hand in a clockwise direction, and a sleeve slidably carried on the shaft and connected to said slidable part whereby the cam and follower may be separated to permit setting the hand in a clockwise direction.

11. An alarm clock having an alarm set ting shaft provided with an alarm indicating hand on the face of the clock, an alarm settin mechanism including a cam and a follower supported from the shaft, one part of said mechanism being slidable on the shaft relative to the other part, a spring for urging the parts together, said cam and follower interengaging to prevent setting the alarm hand in a clockwise direction, a sleeve slidably carried on the shaft and connected to said slidable part whereby the cam and follower may be separated to permit setting the hand in a clockwise direction and a mechanism interconnecting the sleeve and shaft when in the last mentioned position for preventing setting the hand in a counter-clockwise direction.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 1st day of May, 1922.

JOSEPH F. DUNN. [14. s.] 

